Shiroi Ryuu
by Klitch
Summary: Digimon/Spirited Away fusion thingy. Daisuke finds himself lost in a strange world where he must save his parents, find his sister, and figure out a way home. Yaoi, Kensuke.
1. Detours

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Shiroi Ryuu

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Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. ::Pout:: Nothing's _ever_ mine. It's not _faaiirr!_

Author's Notes: Um...yeah. I'm not too sure about this one. The idea for a Digimon/Spirited Away fusion thingy was brought up a while back on the boys_inc ML and I'd actually almost forgotten about it. Then I started listening to an mp3 of the song "Shiroi Ryuu" (which is gorgeous, BTW) and got all inspired. I'm probably not going to follow the movie exactly, or at least I'm gonna add some stuff since just doing the movie word-for-word would be dull. However, this will obviously contain some spoiler-ish things for the movie, so if you don't want to know, wait to read this until _after_ you've seen the film (or at least, don't yell at me if you get spoiled. I don't like being yelled at.) Anyway, read, review and such. (And if you think it sucks, please don't tell me. My ego is fragile >_

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"Are we there yet?" Motomiya Daisuke asked as he stared out the car window and tried to reposition himself so that his legs weren't quite so cramped. 

"Watch it! You kicked me." Daisuke's older sister Jun kicked his leg away. "Mom, are we there yet? I can't take being cooped up with him much longer." 

"Oh yeah? You should try being cooped up with _you,_" Daisuke shot back, sticking his tongue out at her and putting his feet on her lap. 

"Don't be immature," Jun said, slapping at his feet. "Geez, your stupid sneakers stink! Stop taking up all the space!" 

"You're the one taking up all the space with your stupid spiky hair!" 

_"Who's_ the one with the spiky hair?" 

"Enough!" Mrs. Motomiya said from the passenger seat and both kids shut up immediately. She turned to look at them. "It won't be much longer, so try to keep from bothering each other until then, okay?" 

"Hmmph. _I'm_ not the one who wanted to move," Daisuke pouted. He glanced back out the window and fingered the goggles sitting on his head. They had been a gift from a friend of his before he left. The card was stuffed into the pocket of his shorts, and Daisuke undid his seatbelt and squirmed around a bit trying to pull it out, accidentally kicking Jun again. 

"Stop that! Can't you just stay still?" Jun said. 

"I'm looking for something!" Daisuke said. "You're already takin' up more space than me anyway!" 

"I am not!" 

"Are so!" 

"Am not!" 

"Would you two stop fighting?" This time Mr. Motomiya turned to glare at them. 

"Honey, eyes on the road!" Mrs. Motomiya snapped, and he turned back to the road just in time to take a wrong turn down an old dirt road. The car rolled over a large bump and Daisuke found himself tossed into Jun, who squawked indignantly and pushed him off. 

"What's with this road?" Daisuke muttered as he tried to get his seatbelt back on. A particularly large bump sent him flying again, this time falling forward into the seat in front of him as the car rolled to a stop. 

"I think you took a wrong turn," Mrs. Motomiya said to her husband, who had pulled a small map out of his pants pocket and was trying to unfold it. "We should probably go back." 

"No, no, I think it'll be okay," Mr. Motomiya argued. He pointed to a spot on the map. "See, I _think_ that if we just keep following this road, it should take us to the new house." 

"It would probably be best if we just go back. We don't want to get lost," argued Mrs. Motomiya. 

"We could go back to our old house," Daisuke suggested hopefully, and both his parents shot him a withering look. He sank back into his seat and pouted. "It was just a _suggestion...._" 

"Look, see, this is the road we're on." Mr. Motomiya pointed to a spot on the map. "So if we follow it all the way--" 

"That's a coffee stain," Jun said, leaning between the two front seats to look at the map. 

"Let's turn around," Mrs. Motomiya said. "I don't think this road is even on the map." 

"No, no, this'll be fine." Mr. Motomiya waved off her objections and started the car again. "I'm certain that this road will take us to where we want to be. Maybe even quicker! This could be a shortcut that nobody's ever heard of." 

"Yeah, a shortcut to being lost in the woods and dying of starvation," Jun muttered as she sat back down. She glanced over at Daisuke, who was still pouting. "What's with you? I thought you _liked_ adventure." 

"Getting lost isn't adventure," Daisuke mumbled. "Why'd we have to move anyway? If we'd stayed where we were, we wouldn't be lost right now." 

"We're _not_ lost," Mr. Motomiya snapped as the car began to move forward. 

"Not yet, anyway," sighed Mrs. Motomiya. "Dear, are you sure--" 

"We'll be there in no time," Mr. Motomiya promised. In the backseat, Jun and Daisuke exchanged looks and sighed. Daisuke went back to looking out the window. 

The car continued to trundle lazily along the dirt road and Daisuke stared out at the countryside. There seemed to be nothing for miles except cows and grass. Just as he was beginning to think that they were going in circles, the road curved sharply, and they drove into an old forest. 

"This is kinda creepy," Jun said in a hushed tone. 

"I think we should go back," Mrs. Motomiya added. 

"Let's just go a little farther, okay? Just a little farther." Mr. Motomiya continued to follow the road. 

"I don't like this," Jun whispered to Daisuke, who ignored her, still intent on the window. "Hey, what're you looking at?" 

"There was a statue thingy over there," Daisuke said, glancing back at her. "Didn't you guys see it? It was in the middle of the woods; we just passed it a second ago." 

"What kind of statue? I don't see anything." Jun pushed Daisuke to the side a little, trying to look out the window. 

"I said we already passed it! Move over, you're squishing me!" Daisuke pushed her away and stared back out the window. He couldn't see anything but trees now. 

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt. 

"Huh?" Daisuke glanced up at his parents. "Why'd we stop?" 

"There seems to be a...a building or something," Mr. Motomiya said, turning off the car engine. Daisuke stared out the front window and realized that they had stopped in front of a large structure covered in peeling red paint. There seemed to be a small tunnel right ahead of them, and there was a statue in front of the tunnel. 

"That's like the statue I saw before!" Daisuke exclaimed, pointing. 

"So what is it?" Jun asked. "I mean, what kind of building would be in the center of a forest?" 

"Let's go out and take a look," Mr. Motomiya decided, getting out of the car. 

"Hey, wait for me!" Daisuke pushed his door open and tumbled out onto the grass. He stood with his father in front of the tunnel and peered inside, trying to see where it led. 

"Is this really a good idea?" Mrs. Motomiya questioned as she and Jun also exited the car. 

"Maybe the tunnel leads somewhere we could get directions," Mr. Motomiya said. "It's better than waiting around here, anyway. Come on, let's go see where it leads." 

"Dear, I think we should just go back the way we came," Mrs. Motomiya objected. "And what about the moving van?" 

"If the van beats us to the new house, the movers can just move everything in and leave it until we get there," Mr. Motomiya said dismissively. "Daisuke, you want to see what's at the other end of the tunnel, don't you?" 

"Um...I guess..." Daisuke said slowly, still trying to see inside. 

"There, Daisuke agrees with me, you see? We'll go and check things out, and you two can stay behind with the car. Come on, Daisuke." Mr. Motomiya grabbed Daisuke by the arm and started down the tunnel, dragging the boy behind him. 

Mrs. Motomiya and Jun stared after them for a moment, then exchanged tired glances and followed. 

"We shoulda brought a flashlight," Daisuke muttered as he stumbled over a rock. 

"We're almost at the end," Mr. Motomiya urged from ahead of him. 

"Can't we turn back? It's all dusty in here!" Jun complained. 

Several moments later the four emerged in what appeared to be an old train station at the other end of the tunnel. 

"This place looks like it's been abandoned for years," Mrs. Motomiya breathed. 

"So much for getting directions," Jun said to Daisuke, who had turned away from her and was walking off in another direction. "Hey, where are you going?" Jun ran after him. 

"Look." Daisuke pointed to another open door on one side of the station. Through it, the two could see green grass and a clear blue sky. 

"What sort of place _is_ this?" Jun wondered aloud as their parents walked up behind them. 

"Well, let's see if there's anyone out here, then." Mr. Motomiya pushed past her and headed outside, followed by Mr. Motomiya. Jun and Daisuke ran after them. 

"My, it's so nice out here," Mrs. Motomiya said as they began to walk up a hill. "Can we go back to the car now? We really should get back to the main road." 

"I've got it!" Mr. Motomiya snapped his fingers triumphantly. 

"Got what?" Jun said curiously. 

"I know what this place is. It's an amusement park!" 

"It doesn't _look_ like an amusement park," Mrs. Motomiya sighed. "Dear, maybe you should lie down." 

"No, no, it's okay. Remember, a few years back when the economy was good and all those amusement parks were opening? A bunch of them shut down afterwards because they ran out of money. I bet this was one of them." 

"Then it's abandoned," Mrs. Motomiya said. "So we obviously won't be able to get directions here. Let's go back." 

"But there's smoke coming from over there," Daisuke spoke up, pointing. 

"Hey, he's right!" Jun said. "So maybe there _is_ someone till here!" 

"Let's go check, then." Mr. Motomiya led the way again. "Come on troops." 

"I should've worn older shoes," Jun muttered as they followed. "These are going to get all muddy." 

"Be careful, kids, there's a lot of water over here," Mrs. Motomiya called back as they came to what appeared to be a very small river filled with large rocks. 

"_Definitely_ should've worn better shoes," Jun moaned as she picked her way over the rocks. There was a loud splash to her right, and she turned to see Daisuke sitting in the middle of a puddle. 

"I told you to be careful," Mrs. Motomiya scolded the dripping boy. 

"I _was_ careful!" Daisuke objected. "The rocks are slippery." 

"Stay away from me, you're all muddy now," Jun warned as they continued on towards what appeared to be a small plaza filled with empty shops. 

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Mr. Motomiya called. No one answered. 

"I smell something," Daisuke said. 

"Over there!" Mr. Motomiya walked over to a small shop packed with food. 

"That smells so good!" Mrs. Motomiya said. "But where's the owner? You wouldn't think he'd leave the food lying out like this." 

"Too bad, I'm hungry," Mr. Motomiya added. "Do you see anybody we can ask about the food?" 

"I don't think there's anyone here at all," Jun spoke up. 

"Well...." Mr. Motomiya looked thoughtfully at the food. "I _do_ have money with me, and credit cards too. So maybe we can pay whenever the owner comes back?" 

"That sounds like a good idea," Mrs. Motomiya said. "That long car ride has made me hungry." She sat down and reached for a piece of food, taking careful bite. "Oh, it's delicious! And fresh, too. It couldn't have been sitting here for long." 

"Then let's help ourselves." Mr. Motomiya put a bit of food on one of the plates stacked nearby and sat down next to his wife. He turned to Daisuke and Jun, who were still standing a ways off, watching them. "What about you kids? Hungry?" 

"No thanks," Jun stated. "That stuff looks fattening. I'm going to go look around a bit, okay?" 

"All right, just don't get lost. What about you, Daisuke?" 

Daisuke glanced at the food and then at the retreating form of Jun. He _was_ hungry, but he was also having the strange, nagging feeling that he shouldn't touch that food. 

_But that's stupid! I mean, it's just food right?_ Daisuke took a step towards his parents, then stopped. _Right?_

"I--I'm gonna go look around with Jun," Daisuke decided, and ran off, leaving his parents still eating behind him. 

_That was dumb,_ Daisuke thought irritably as he wandered aimlessly through the small empty shops. _I really am hungry, too. Maybe I should go back and eat something?_ He shook his head. _Nah, maybe later. I'd better find Jun. She's probably off doing some dumb girl thing._

He turned a corner and suddenly caught sight of a large red building situated on the other side of a wooden bridge. There was something about it that made him draw closer to it, and he stepped onto the bridge. 

_I wonder what_ that _was,_ he thought._ It looks too big to be just another shop. Maybe it was a hotel or something? Maybe everyone's in there and that's why there's nobody out here._

Daisuke heard a sound from below him and leaned over the side of the bridge just in time to catch sight of the shadow of a train flit through the water below. 

_A train? Why's there a train here? Is it some part of the theme park that we missed? _He stared hard into the water, climbing up a bit of the bridge railing and leaning dangerously off the side. _This place is really weird. I--I think I kinda wanna go back to the car now._

Daisuke sighed and straightened, jumping back onto the bridge. There was the sound of a soft gasp beside him, and he turned. 

A boy stood there on the bridge beside him. He looked about Daisuke's age, though he was a bit taller and seemed a bit thinner, despite the clothes he wore, which looked as though they had come from an older time period. He had long dark hair that hung around his face, making him look a bit female, and piercing violet eyes, all of which seemed to contrast sharply with his pale skin. 

"Um...hi," Daisuke said carefully. The other boy was staring at him in what appeared to be nothing less than open-mouthed shock. "Who're you? I haven't seen anyone here ever since we--" 

"What are you doing here?" the other boy said sharply. There was a hint of desperation in his voice. "You--you shouldn't be here!" 

"Well, you see, we got lost and--" Daisuke broke off as he caught sight of one of the lamps beside the large hotel-looking building turn on. Suddenly the sky seemed to get a bit darker and the wind rose. Daisuke felt a strange prickling feeling on the back of his neck. 

"Get out of here!" The other boy lunged forward unexpectedly and pushed him back. Daisuke slipped and fell back onto the bridge. 

"Hey, what're you--" Daisuke started to object, then stopped when he saw the intense look on the dark-haired boy's face. 

"You have to get across the river, quickly!" The boy's tone was full of urgency. "Quickly! They're lighting the lamps already, and if you don't get back across the river, you'll be trapped here!" He turned back towards the large building, where Daisuke could now see strange dark shapes beginning to form. "Go! I'll hold them off while you run!" 

"R-right." Not quite sure what was going on or what he was doing, Daisuke scrambled to his feet, running back towards where he had left his parents. He glanced back once at the dark-haired boy, who was staring at the approaching figures. 

_What the hell is going on around here?_ Daisuke wondered desperately as he ran back towards the shops. He skidded to a halt as he realized that the small shops were no longer empty. Dark blobs, barely corporeal, were staffing them now, moving about apparently oblivious of his presence. The sky had become as dark as if night had fallen in the few minutes since Daisuke left his parents behind. _Oh yeah, my parents! Are they okay?_ He began running again, back towards where he had left his parents. 

"Mom, Dad!" Daisuke turned a corner and nearly ran into the wall of a shop, he was running so fast. He sighed in relief as he caught sight of his parents still sitting where he had left them. Though they did look a little..._bigger_...than before. Daisuke approached them almost hesitantly. "Um, Mom? Dad?" 

His parents turned to look at him, and Daisuke froze. 

Pigs. They were _pigs._

"W-what's going on here?" Daisuke burst out. His parent ignored him, going back to the food. _Those--those can't be my parents. They_ can't _be. But--but they're wearing my parents' clothes. And this is where I left them. And--and--_

"Jun!" Daisuke's eyes widened. _Where is she? She went off the other way and I lost sight of her. Is she a pig too? _He glanced back helplessly at his parents. "I--I'll be back for you guys, okay?" Then Daisuke ran off again. 

"Jun! Jun, hey, where'd you go?" Daisuke called as he dashed through the streets. They were filled with creatures now, mostly the strange, indistinct blobs, but others were joining them now. Daisuke felt apprehension growing inside him. 

_What do I do? I--I can't leave my parents and Jun here!_ Daisuke looked around helplessly. _But I'll never find her in all of this! I--I gotta get to the river, and then I'll figure out what to do once I get outta here._

Turning around yet again, Daisuke hurried towards the river. His breath was already coming in short gasps and his legs ached from all the running. He could see the steps leading down to the river up ahead of him. He put on an extra burst of speed and promptly tripped over the top step. He fell forward and landed with a loud splash in the water...which was suddenly as deep as an ocean. 

"What the heck?" Daisuke gasped as he broke the surface. He swam back to the steps and climbed onto dry land, staring back at what had been barely a river. Ahead of him was what seemed to be a vast ocean. He could make out tall buildings and lights shining from the other side, which seemed impossibly far away. 

_I can't swim that. I--I'm stuck here._ Daisuke collapsed onto the steps, still panting and shivering from the cold water. He put a hand to his head. 

"You smell funny," a small voice said from beside him, and Daisuke jumped. A little blue creature had appeared beside him, staring at him with wide red eyes. "Are you a snail?" 

"N-no. What are you?" Daisuke regarded the little creature with interest. 

"I'm a Chibimon." Chibimon clambered up onto Daisuke's lap. "You don't smell like a snail. Are you a frog?" 

"No!" Daisuke tried to remove the little creature from his lap, but it had already moved away and was clambering onto his head, admiring itself in his goggles. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" 

"I like you," Chibimon said happily. "You smell interesting. Why do you have mirrors on your head?" 

"They're not mirrors!" Daisuke said indignantly. "They're goggles! Haven't you ever seen goggles before?" 

"No." Chibimon moved forward so that he could look Daisuke in the eyes while still sitting on the boy's head. "What are you? You're so interesting!" 

"I-I'm Motomiya Daisuke," Daisuke choked out. 

"You're a Daisuke?" 

"No! I'm a human! Don't you know what a human is?" 

"No." Chibimon tumbled off Daisuke's head and landed back in his lap. "I like you. Why're you all wet?" 

"Because I fell in the river." Daisuke glanced back at the water. He could see the approaching lights of a large boat. "Chibimon...what is this place?" 

"It's the spirit world," Chibimon said helpfully. 

"Spirit world?" Daisuke repeated. "So you're a spirit?" 

"No, I'm a Chibimon!" Chibimon squeaked angrily. 

"Well, what about those black things? Are they spirits?" 

"Could be," Chibimon said distractedly, playing with one of Daisuke's shoe laces. 

"Well, do you know how I get out of here?" Daisuke said. He was beginning to get annoyed. 

"You can't," Chibimon said seriously. "I don't know anyone who ever has." 

"What?" Daisuke looked stricken. _Okay, okay, calm down Motomiya. This thing... er, Chibimon doesn't seem to know a whole bunch about this place, right? So maybe there is a way back home and he just doesn't know it._

"I need to find Jun," Daisuke decided, standing up. Chibimon grabbed onto his arm and climbed back up on his head. 

"What's a Jun?" 

"My sister," Daisuke said. "Are you coming with me?" Chibimon nodded. 

"I like you. You're fun!" 

Daisuke managed a small smile and began to walk back the way he had come. He decided to try and go around the shops, and soon found himself walking through a fairly deserted area away from the main road. 

"Hey, Chibimon?" he said quietly. 

"Yeah?" 

"My parents...they weren't really turned into pigs, were they?" 

"I think so," Chibimon said with some modicum of seriousness. 

"They were? Why?" 

"If you eat the food put out for the guests, you get turned into a pig," Chibimon replied. "They always kick me away when I try to eat anything." 

"Who's 'they?'" Daisuke questioned. 

"The spirits," Chibimon said. "Daisuke, did you know I can see through your hands?" 

"What do you mean by that?" Daisuke said. Chibimon pointed and Daisuke gasped softly. 

He could see through his hands as well. He was fading away. 

---- 

And that's one chapter down. It may be a little while 'till I get the next chapter out because I'm going home for winter break on Thursday and I'll be gone for three weeks, but I'll try to be prompt with updates after that. So review! (Please?) 


	2. Meetings

**Shiroi Ryuu** Part Two 

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I never get to own anything. It kinda sucks. 

Author's notes: I know, I know, I'm late. I'm sorry! I got busy (and lazy.) I really meant to get this done earlier and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, though I make no promises. (Hey, at least it's not taking me six months to update or anything, right? It's progress!) 

---- 

"W-w-what's going on?" Daisuke stuttered. "I'm--I'm see-through! I'm not _supposed_ to be see-through! Hey, what're you doing?" This last was directed towards Chibimon, who had climbed down from his head and was holding on tightly to one of his arms. 

"Look Daisuke! I can wave my tail through your hands!" Chibimon said proudly, demonstrating said skill. 

"Hey. stop that!" Daisuke yelped. "That's--okay, that's not good, right? Chibimon, I can't--I can't _actually_ fade away or anything, can I?" 

Chibimon blinked at him cluelessly. 

"I don't know." 

"Well, _that's_ a lot of help," Daisuke muttered. "Okay, do you at least know how I can, you know, _not_ fade away?" 

"I didn't know humans were see-through," Chibimon mused. "Can I be see-through, too, Daisuke? I wanna be see-through!" 

"No you don't!" Daisuke could feel himself beginning to panic. "This is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Very bad. Chibimon, stop doing that with your tail! I'm about to disappear, and you're--" 

"But Daisuke, it's fun!" Chibimon chirped happily. Suddenly, Daisuke heard the sound of footsteps approaching. 

_It's--it's one of those blob-things,_ Daisuke thought. _Or--or I dunno, something creepy! What if it's coming to make me a pig or something, like my parents? Or--or--_

Daisuke didn't wait to think up anything else. He began to run again, not having any idea where he was going. Chibimon, who had been holding tightly onto his wrist, suddenly fell straight through Daisuke's arm as it began to fade away, and the little creature fell to the ground with a squeak. Daisuke heard Chibimon call after him, but he kept running, too panicked to stop. 

_I just wanna go home!_ he thought wildly as he glanced back to see if he was being followed. A shadow rose up ahead of him, and Daisuke cried out as he ran straight into it. He fell back onto the ground as the thing he had hit also fell backwards with a grunt. 

"Calm down." The person Daisuke had run into sat up, revealing the boy who had helped him at the bridge. 

"Y-you!" Daisuke swallowed hard. "Who the heck are you? Why'd you help me before? Where'd you--" 

"I said, calm down." The dark-haired boy looked around cautiously, then turned back to Daisuke. "Did anyone see you?" 

"J-just Chibimon," Daisuke said. "B-but I'm--I'm disappearing or something, a-and my parents--and my sister--and--and--" 

"All right, all right." The boy made soothing motions with his hands before reaching into his robes and pulling out a small circular piece of food. "Here, eat this. It'll keep you from disappearing." 

"How do I know it won't turn me into a pig?" Daisuke demanded. 

"Because I told you it won't," the other boy said. "Here, just eat it. If you don't, you'll fade away. Is that better than turning into a pig?" 

Daisuke stared at him for a long moment before finally reaching for the food. It passed right through his hands. 

"How can I eat it if I can't--" Daisuke started to ask before the other boy cut him off. 

"Open your mouth." Daisuke did as he was told, and the other boy put the food in Daisuke's open mouth. Daisuke carefully chewed it, watching his hands for any sign of turning into a pig. The food didn't seem to have any real taste, but somehow he felt better for eating it. Glancing down at his hands, he saw that they had become solid again. Daisuke breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Thanks," he said gratefully. "So, who are you?" 

"My name is Ken." The other boy had already gotten to his feet and was looking around again. 

"I'm--" 

"Daisuke, I know." Ken looked back at Daisuke, and he suddenly seemed rather shy and hesitant. "I--I've known for...for a while. I knew you the moment I saw you." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daisuke asked a moment before Ken dived forward, pressing him up against him. "Hey!" 

"Shh," Ken hissed, glancing behind himself. Daisuke peered around Ken's body and just caught sight of a small creature flying clumsily through the air in circles, as if looking for something. "Demidevimon. He's looking for you. And keep your voice down!" 

"For me?" Daisuke whispered. "Why? I just got here." 

"They can smell humans," Ken murmured. "I'm not the only one who knew you when I saw you." 

"What's it want _me_ for?" Daisuke asked. "I didn't--" 

"Humans aren't supposed to be here," Ken replied. His face was still turned away, watching Demidevimon circling through the air. 

"But aren't you human?" Daisuke said. Ken turned to look at him, an unreadable expression on his face. 

"Don't worry about that right now." He glanced back towards Demidevimon then, apparently deciding that the creature was far enough away, stood once more. He offered a hand to Daisuke. "Come on. It's not safe to stay here." 

"Right..." Hesitantly, Daisuke stood. His legs were shaking, and he nearly collapsed. Ken swooped over and caught him. Daisuke glanced up and realized that their faces were awfully close together. 

"Um...this is kinda awkward, huh?" 

Ken ignored him. He reached down and touched a hand to Daisuke's leg, whispering something Daisuke couldn't quite hear. Nonetheless, he suddenly felt much stronger and his legs stopped shaking. 

"What'd you do?" Daisuke wondered aloud. 

"Come on," Ken said, ignoring the question. "Follow me, and try to be quiet, okay?" 

"Wait a minute!" Daisuke grabbed Ken's shoulder as the other boy prepared to run off. "Where are we going? And Jun! What if that Demi-whatsis thing finds her?" 

"Who?" 

"Jun! My sister." Daisuke glanced nervously back the way he had come. "She didn't eat any of the food either. I--I tried calling for her after I ran into you on the bridge but I couldn't find her. She might be in trouble or something!" 

"Calm down." Ken took hold of Daisuke's hand. "I'll send my servant Wormmon to look for her, if it'll make you feel better. But right now, we have to go. I--I don't want anything to happen to you, Daisuke. So we've really got to leave now. It isn't safe to be out here in the open." 

Daisuke hesitated, then looked for a moment into Ken's violet eyes. He felt something inside him begin to relax, and he managed a nod. 

"All right. I'll follow you." 

"Good." Ken nodded and then set off at a dead run, dragging Daisuke along behind him. 

"H-hey, slow down!" Daisuke squawked as Ken darted through an alleyway. "We're not in _that_ much danger, are we? Can we--" 

"I said, keep your voice down!" Ken hissed as he pulled Daisuke around a corner. 

Daisuke swallowed a reply and concentrated on running. Ken suddenly turned sharply and led him into a large building. Once they were inside, Daisuke wrenched his hand away from Ken and fell back against the wall. 

"We can't stop here," Ken told him irritably. Daisuke was panting hard, but the dark-haired boy showed no visible signs of fatigue. 

"J-just let me catch my breath." Daisuke shook his head. "Why're you so nervous anyway? That Demi-thingy can't see us inside a building, can it?" 

"No, but there are other things that can," Ken said darkly. He paused, then offered Daisuke a hand again. "We shouldn't linger here. It's--" 

"Yeah, yeah, not safe." Daisuke sighed and managed a smile. "All right, I guess I'm ready." 

"We'll go slow, if you can't handle all the running," Ken said. "At least until we get back outside." 

Daisuke nodded and they began to walk through the building. Daisuke took a moment to look around, trying to figure out what sort of place this was. There were various barrels, sacks and crates scattered all about the room. 

"What kind of--" 

"Food storage room," Ken replied without looking back. He led Daisuke through another doorway into yet another room, where Daisuke skidded to a halt, clapping a hand over his nose and mouth. They had obviously entered one of the rooms where the meat was stored. Sausages and plucked chickens hung side by side with recently dead chickens and pigs that still the looked the way they had when alive. Dead fish were piled up in barrels, and one particularly large fish and what appeared to be a squid lay on the floor, which was covered with meat drippings. 

"This is so gross," Daisuke muttered from behind his hand. 

"It's not that bad." Ken began to drag Daisuke forward again. "Be careful. You don't want to slip." 

"I'm never gonna eat anything again," Daisuke whimpered. "And it stinks! How can you stand it?" 

"We're almost out of this room," Ken encouraged him. "The door's right over there. Anyway..." His eyes darkened. "You'll have to deal with worse before this is over, Daisuke." 

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked. Ken just shook his head. 

"Never mind. Let's just leave this place, shall we?" 

Ken led Daisuke into the next room. Lining the sides of the room were pens, and inside these pens were hundreds of squeaking pigs. Daisuke suddenly looked nervous. 

"Ken...n-none of these are my parents, right?" 

"You can't tell?" Ken's face was turned away, and his tone was unreadable. 

"No. Should I be able to?" Daisuke leaned over one pen curiously. Two of the pigs inside squealed at him and he fell back onto the floor, startled. 

"Your parents won't be here," Ken said, helping him up. "Not yet, anyway." This last was said under his breath, and Daisuke didn't hear it. 

"So...are all of these pigs people? Or were they?" A horrifying thought occurred to Daisuke. "If they are people...they're not gonna get eaten, are they?" 

"Most of them are just pigs," Ken said. "As for the others...well, I told you this was a dangerous place. Once the change starts, they forget everything. To them, it's as if they always were pigs. And if humans eat the food and get transformed and there's no one like you to save them...well, there's really no way to save them. After a while, it's as if they always were pigs." 

"But--but they get _killed_?" Daisuke still looked troubled. There was something in his face that made Ken suspicious. 

"No," he said with finality. 

"No what?" 

"No, you can't set them free. They'll just get caught again." Ken noticed Daisuke's crestfallen look and put a hand on his shoulder. "They're just animals now, Daisuke. There's no way to save them; you'll have enough trouble saving yourself. And in the end, being killed isn't going to change their fates very much. Either way, they'll never be human again." 

"Then...what about my parents?" Daisuke's eyes were wide. "Will they...?" 

"That's going to depend on you, which is why we can't linger here," Ken said. 

"Oh..." Daisuke sighed, then straightened his shoulders. "All right, then, I'm ready to run again. Take me wherever it is we're going." He held out a hand and Ken's face broke into a slight smile. 

"Are you sure you can run this time?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure. Let's get out of here." 

"As you wish." Ken grabbed Daisuke's hand and together they ran out of the storehouse and into the night. 

They finally paused behind a fence within sight of the bridge. No longer empty, it was covered with strange-looking beings, who nodded at each other and at the two human-like frogs greeting them as they passed. 

"We're going in there?" Daisuke whispered, indicating the large building on the opposite side of the bridge. 

"Yes. You can find work there, and then you'll be safe, at least for a time." Ken seemed nervous, and it didn't do much for Daisuke's confidence. 

"Work?" he repeated. When Ken didn't reply, Daisuke poked him in the shoulder. "Hey...how're we gonna get across? Won't those...things see me?" 

"Those 'things' are gods," Ken said softly. "And spirits, too. Be careful what you say to them, about them. As for the bridge..." He grew silent again, his eyes narrowing in thought. A long silence fell between the two of them. Ken appeared lost in his thoughts, and his expression was so intense that Daisuke hesitated to interrupt his musings. 

"Ken?" he finally asked when the silence had gone on too long. Ken started, then glanced over at him. 

"How long can you hold your breath?" he questioned. 

"Um...I dunno. Pretty long, I guess." 

"Good. When we get to the bridge, I need you to hold your breath until we're across. They won't see you then." Ken stood and offered Daisuke a hand up. "Come on. And try not to draw attention to yourself." 

"R-right." Daisuke followed Ken to the bridge, staying as close to him as possible. 

"Now, hold your breath," Ken murmured to Daisuke as they stepped onto the bridge. Daisuke complied. The two frogs sitting by the side of the bridge nodded at Ken but paid no attention to Daisuke. 

"We're almost there," Ken said encouragingly, keeping his voice low. "Just hold your breath a little longer and--" 

"Daisuke!" A tiny blue blur suddenly dashed across the bridge, launching itself into Daisuke's chest. 

"Chibimon!" Daisuke gasped out as he caught the little creature in his arms. There was the sound of shocked exclamations from the creatures beside him as Daisuke suddenly realized his mistake and clapped a hand over his mouth. 

"Dammit!" Ken grabbed Daisuke's hand again and suddenly they were flying low along the ground. Daisuke suddenly had his hands full trying to keep from dropping Chibimon while simultaneously trying to figure out how ken was managing to fly. He heard an angry voice shouting about humans and then Ken flew around a corner into a hole in the nearest fence. He skidded to a halt amidst a small grove of trees. From inside the building came the sounds of running feet and angry voices. 

"Chibimon!" Daisuke immediately turned to the little creature squirming in his grasp. "Look what you made me do!" 

"What'd I do?" Chibimon blinked innocently at him and Daisuke sighed. 

"Never mind." He let go of Chibimon and the little creature immediately clambered back onto his head, settling itself between his goggles. Daisuke glanced up at Ken, who was looking around anxiously. "Ken, I'm really sorry about--" 

"No time for that," Ken cut him off abruptly. "They'll be looking for you now." He paused thoughtfully, then crouched down beside Daisuke. "Listen. I'll go distract everyone while you--" 

"No way!" Daisuke said quickly. "I'm not gonna let you get in trouble because I--" 

"I won't get in trouble." Ken's eyes were suddenly flat and emotionless. "No one will question what I say. It will give you a chance to go somewhere safe." 

"Somewhere safe? Around here?" Daisuke closed his eyes. "I think I'm ready to go home now, okay?" 

"You _will_ go home," Ken told him. "Just not yet. Now, you have to listen closely to me. After I'm gone, sneak out through the back gate. Go down the stairs and you'll end up in the boiler room. You'll need to talk to the old man down there, Gennai. Ask him for work. No matter what he says, make sure you get work. No one can harm you then, and you'll be safe until the time comes to save yourself and your family." 

"They can't harm me if I work? Why not?" Daisuke asked. 

"It's one of the laws around here," Ken said. "If you don't have work then you may be turned into an animal, like your parents." 

"Will that happen to my sister, if-if anyone finds her?" Daisuke wondered. 

"I can't say." Ken glanced back the way they had come. "I told you, I have my servant looking for her. I'll seek you out once she's found, likely before then. Now, do you remember what I said to do?" 

"Stairs. Boiler room. Um...old guy?" 

"Gennai," Chibimon supplied helpfully, and Daisuke nodded. 

"Right, what he said." Daisuke nodded proudly and Ken shook his head, smiling ruefully. 

"All right, then. I have to go." Ken stood and turned as if to go, then paused and glanced back. All of a sudden he seemed unsure, almost...ashamed. "Daisuke....you--you might see me again, before I come looking for you. At that time...I may not look like myself, or--or go by a different name. I may treat you differently than I do now. I'll be like a different person to you. But....but I am your friend. No matter how I might act towards you...I'm your friend. I'm going to help you, I promise. I just..." He shook his head. "I have to go. Good luck!" 

With that, Ken turned and ran off. Daisuke watched him disappear inside the building, then turned to Chibimon. 

"Are you coming with me?" 

"Mm-hmm." Chibimon nodded. "I like you." He paused. "Where are we going?" 

"Boiler room, remember?" Daisuke said. "What was the name of that guy I have to find?" 

"Gennai," Chibimon said. 

"Okay then. Let's go! And be quiet." Daisuke glanced around furtively, making sure that they weren't being watched, and then he carefully sneaked out the back gate. 

--- 

Okay, that's it for now. Next chapter will show up eventually. (Ah...eventually. I love a nebulous deadline.) 


End file.
